What do you think of the training experience abroad?

Are kettlebell training and results exaggerated? what do you think of this critique http://skinnybulkup.com/kettlebells-are-inferior-to-dumbbells/

• I have switched to only doing functional strength and body weight resistance  training. I used kettlebells years ago when I was out of shape. I didn't see results and then switched to free weights and gain 15 pounds of muscle in a few months.  I don't like carrying around too much bulk and I was wondering what thoughts people have about from their experience . I just started training with them again working on form and ramping up slowly.     I am looking to get as functionally strong as possible without bulking up or injury.      Thanks . It just seems like it has become trendy and there is a lot of B.S. information and kettlebell exercises coming out right now. I was just wondering what people's opinions were both pro and con. Also any tips, recommendations of dvd's books, and kettlebell preferences is appreciated. what do you think of this critique http://skinnybulkup.com/kettlebells-are-inferior-to-dumbbells/ this one for example is pretty anti-kettlebell. really just curious and want to ask people who aren't trying to sell me something.   Thanks a lot for your responses!

• Answer:

  Whether or not kettlebells are overhyped depends on who you've been listening to. If somebody tells you kettlebells are the end-all be-all of fitness, that KB exercises will provide every possible person with every conceivable benefit, that kettlebells are the best tool for every possible fitness objective or goal, that kettlebells are a shortcut to fitness, or that kettlebells can make you fit without other lifestyle changes (diet, rest, etc.), then yes, kettlebells are overhyped. My workouts are about 50-50 bodyweight and kettlebell. I typically switch off every week or every other week. It works great for my fitness goals (which involve martial arts and outdoor sports). Without any hyperbole, here's why I love kettlebells: 1. Time-efficient. You can simultaneously get endurance, cardiovascular, and strength workout at the same time, with a variety of exercises that each will force muscles in your entire body to fire up, which means you can get a complete workout in 20 minutes or less. 2. Real-world functionality. The off-balance, awkwardly shaped kettlebell forces you to learn how to absorb and generate force, how to use your body as a cohesive unit. You can do that with Olympic lifts, too, but an Olympic weight set takes up more space and O-lifts are riskier. You can't really do that with dumbbells. 3. Real-world functionality, part II. Kettlebells really work strength endurance, which is really what you need in the real world. It is rare, whether in sport (except power sports) or in real life, that you need to lift a heavy weight a few times and then you're done, or that you need to jog for 45 minutes. Instead, you need to be able to go 100% for short bursts, many many times over a given period, to generate strength as well as speed simultaneously. and to be able to maintain those two qualities consistently over an extended time. That's how KB workouts are. It's not how dumbbell and weightlifting workouts and mainstream workouts operate. 4. Compact, versatile. Here are the drawbacks of kettlebells: 1. Not the most efficient for developing raw strength in a home environment. You want to be really really strong, if that's your focus, you need to lift really really heavy weights, or do really odd-angled bodyweight execises (think of gymnastics stunts). You can do it with kettlebells, but I think you'd go faster by lifting heavy and heavier barbells. 2. Callouses and blisters are a pain, literally and metaphorically. (This is one of the reasons I switch off between KBs and bodyweight.) You'll get callouses on your palms and knuckles, and you'll get blisters as well. Yes, you can minimize this with smart skin maintenance, but you can't eliminate it, in my experience. I think your idea of getting functionally strong and fit using kettlebells and bodyweight is perfectly plausible. (Heck, I've often said that if people really knew how much of an all-around workout they could get with just their bodyweight, 90% of gyms in this country would go out of business.) I invite you to check out the work of Scott Sonnon, Steve Kotter, and Steve Maxwell. Each of these three men are beasts, and they each offer excellent kettlebell and bodyweight programs. For bodyweight, you might also consider Ross Enamait. I've been meaning to try the Gold Medal Bodies (http://goldmedalbodies.com) gymnastic-based workouts, which I think look really cool. Now about that article you posted: The critical article you posted makes some valid points about KB deficiencies, then mixes it with logical fallacies to come to false conclusions. The author is almost certainly someone whose business is being hurt by the increasing popularity of kettlebells, and rather than take the time to improve himself by learning how to use a kettlebell and incorporate it into his program, he's chosen to sit on his ass and snipe like a bitter old man. Here's where that critique is valid. First, let me note that the site is geared toward "skinny guys who want to bulk up." Well, while it is possible to build muscle mass with kettlebells -- using the right workout and diet protocols, there are indeed more efficient methods, mostly involving barbells and freeweights. Secondly, let me point out several flaws in his argument about pro athletes and their use of kettlebells. First, he claims that few elite athletes achieved greatness by only using kettlebells. Well, duh. No athlete achieves greatness by using only one tool or modality. Depending on the sport, every athlete lifts weights, skips ropes, does bodyweight exercises, uses dumbbells and other specialized equipment, swims, runs, etc. The historic scarcity of elite American athletes who use kettlebells is due solely to the fact that kettlebells were forgotten/unheard of by most Americans until about 20 years ago. There are many paths to greatness. That Americans have not, until now, made use of one that includes kettlebells doesn't invalidate the tool. Albert Einstein achieved greatness without using computers. Does that mean computers are useless for education or scientific research? No. (Also note that kettlebells have long been used by athletes in the former Soviet bloc.) If the writer had bothered to do some research, he would have found that 1) an increasing number of top athletes do in fact incorporate kettlebells into their strength and conditioning. Kettlebells first became popular with combat athletes (MMA, boxing, wrestling), but a quick Google using searches like "NFL kettlebell" "NBA kettlebell" will show that an increasing number of professional athletes and their coaches find value in kettlebell work. Renowned trainers hired by pro athletes on their own dime -- Gray Cook, Paul Chek, for instance -- incorporate kettlebells into their programs. You know why? Because they're useful and beneficial if you know what you're doing. I refer you to the table in which he compares KBs to dumbbells. The author is correct that adjustable kettlebells are awkward, and that otherwise, you just have a fixed weight kettlebell. Of course, the same can be said of dumbbells, which the author apparently has some vested interest in promoting. He is correct that blisters and callouses are a real risk with KB work and a drawback to boot. (Then again, this is true of most strength training, once the weights get high enough). He is incorrect that "the off-center balance point strains the wrist during presses and “pushing” movements." It only strains the wrist if you're holding it wrong. He is incorrect that "grip strength the limiting factor in “pulling” movements with thick-handled bells." This is only true if you're doing it wrong, or if your grip is very weak. (In which case, you should be developing your grip strength, possibly (but not necessarily) using KBs.) "Kettlebell training is synonymous with skill training. Often, strength gains come from neural adaptation and skill acquisition, not hypertrophy." This is a ludicrous statement. Yes, kettebells have technique and require practice. Strength is as much a skill as it is an attribute. Kettlebells do require that you master the right technique. So do Olympic lifts, which are, bar none, the best way to develop raw power and strength. I might note that "hypertrophy" is not the same as strength. In fact, these days, we seem to have developed ways to develop the former without the latter -- a dubious achievement, if you ask me. "Repetitive-stress injuries are common and practically inevitable with the massively-hyped but impractical kettlebell movements. " Ignoring the hyperbolically pejorative adjectives, let me note that repetitive stress injuries are "common and practically inevitable" with all serious, hardcore strength training, whether you're going barbells, dumbells, bodyweight, whatever. "Expensive and overpriced." These are subjective. It is true that pound for pound, kettlebells are more expensive than barbells or dumbbells. And in the early days, when Americans basically had only one place to buy kettlebells (Dragondoor), KB prices could make you wince. That's no longer the case, and now, pound for pound, a kettlebell can sometimes be only slightly more expensive than a dumbbell of the same weight. "Handles are cast iron instead of forged steel. This means they need to be thick and stubby to avoid breaking." Again, ludicrous. Cast iron is plenty strong for anything you're likely to do with a kettlebell. It doesn't need to be thick. My castiron skillet is thin. It hasn't broken in more 12 years of hard use, which includes dropping it (the floors didn't fare too well) and banging it around. And my current kettlebell is smooth as a baby's bottom. Some people like a bit of stubbiness for the control the added friction provides. (I just use a little chalk). "Limited number of movements, some highly contrived and impractical." There isn't anything you can do with a dumbbell (which the writer apparently likes) that you can't do with a kettlebell. Most exercises are more challenging and efficient with a kettlebell than with a dumbbell, however (and more challenging = better results). Also, there are some exercises that you can do with a kettlebell but not with a dumbbell. "Cast iron handles must be painted or coated after manufacture to prevent rust. This means you need to remove coating and season the handle to do high-rep snatches." I have no idea what the hell he's talking about here. I've been doing high-rep snatches for years with kettlebells, and I never did anything to modify it other than to mark my initials on it with a sharpie (for when I went to a couple seminars). It worked fine, it didn't rust, I didn't "season" the handle with anything other than sweat. "No way to get “under” the weight during heavy snatches, cleans, and presses. You can only ‘swing’ the weight into position. This means you can’t use kettlebells to develop power." This statement is the definitive proof that the author either has no idea how to use a kettlebell, or is outright lying to promote his own vested interests. It's a complete lie.